On February 17, 2022, the C-27J Spartan aircraft destined for the Slovenian Air Force flew for the first time. We recall that in November 2021, in the framework of the fruitful relations between Italy and Slovenia which boast an excellent state of cooperation, a Government to Government (G2G) agreement was signed between the two countries, through which Slovenia had decided on the purchase of a Leonardo C-27J Spartan transport aircraft.
Italy will also provide Slovenia with maintenance and training of flight crews. The G2G agreement – the first ever for Italy – was signed by the Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini, and the Slovenian Minister, Matej Tonin.
The agreement is part of the broader framework outlined by the “Directive for industrial defense policy”, signed by the Minister of Defense last summer. Directive that intends to give renewed impetus to the competitiveness of the national industry in the sector, “to continue to guarantee the country and its industrial excellence a prominent position in the main and most innovative European and international cooperation programs, and increase the technological relevance of the know how Italian in the world “. So said Minister Guerini on July 29, 2021, when the directive was issued.
The C-27J Spartan object of the agreement is a tactical transport aircraft supplied to the 46th Air Brigade of our Italian Air Force. A medium cargo that is particularly versatile and flexible in use and able to effectively carry out various missions, including those of a medical type or air-drop of materials and paratroopers. Government cooperation with Slovenia comes at the end of a long process conducted by the General Secretariat of Defense and National Directorate of Armaments (Segredifesa), which led to the drafting of an Implementation Agreement, which takes into account the operational, technical, logistical aspects, training, legal and administrative which constituted the necessary basis for the definition of the contractual structure.